Help keep shelter animals warm! Organize a blanket drive

1. Get the go ahead: You first want to be sure your local animal shelter is accepting such donations. And if you’re having the drive at school, make sure your principal is cool with this sort of thing.
2. Get teachers on board: Have the teachers promise to do something crazy if you reach a certain goal, like promise to wear a ridiculous t-shirt to work or shave their head and watch the donations pile up. The hope of punishing a teacher has a certain way of inspiring people.
3. Get your friends on board: You don’t want to do this alone so recruit anyone and everyone to help you out. Pull the guilt trip and/or friendship card if you have to - hey, it’s for a good cause!
4. Spread the word: You need to market your drive! Make posters and flyers ahead of time giving people the details. And don’t forget to include some pictures of homeless animals and facts on animal homelessness on there! Tugging at the heartstrings works!
5. Get attention: Use some creativity to decorate the boxes/barrels. You can even put it on t-shirts, pants, whatever! The more people know about it, the more donations you’ll get.
6. Use your lungs: Ask if you can make an announcement over the PA system, during morning announcements or homeroom. Or use your big mouth during lunch or in between periods and shout out the cause.
7. Make it Easy: People are more likely to help if they don’t have to do much work, so offer to pick up the blankets at their house or set up a collection bin in the front of your school or in the lunchroom. As a matter of fact, DO BOTH!
8. Show off the goods: Display the number of blankets you’ve gotten to get other teens into the mix. You may event want to set a goal and give a daily update on how close you are to achieving your goal. Put the numbers on a huge poster that you can display in a prominent place.
9. Close down: Officially end the drive by posting the number of blankets you collected in the main lobby or lunchroom and give special thanks to everyone who chipped in.
10. Now that you’ve got the goods: Send the blankets to your local homeless animal shelter. Again, make sure you get the okay beforehand.
11. Drive Ideas: Can’t think of anything off the chain to raise donations for your cause? Check out our list of 11 Ideas for a Collection Drive.

Find more awesome ways to get involved with action guides, volunteer opportunities, and causes at DoSomething.org